Key stage 3 RE texts continue to vary in content, style and quality, reflecting the diversity in syllabuses and that RE has still to “get it together” to best effect in this key stage.

Flexi-RE is a lavishly illustrated exploration with an element of anthology on themes intended to support the QCA RE schemes of work: looking for God; Jesus; sacred writings; prayer; Gotama Buddha; and aspects of Judaism (in that order). The vocabulary is quite difficult but able children will appreciate the text. It is a resource rather than a course.

New Ideas for RE is the first of two photocopiable packs of teaching material on ultimate questions, authority, and commitment. The cartoons look rather amateur. Fitting a fictitious character, Fred, into heaven or hell on the basis of a short section explaining “the basic Christian view”, “the Roman Catholic view” and Jehovah’s Witnesses short-circuits a big debate. Its strength is that its worksheets involve lots of pupil responses.

Islam: Essential Edition is the foundation edition to partner a version for more able pupils. It is visually appealing; the text is clear and not too daunting.

Christian Churches is a tour of the main Christian denominations with Roman Catholicism, Orthodox, Anglicanism and Nonconformist churches as the units. Baptists are described as supporting adult baptism, rather than believer’s baptism; Catholics believe in heaven and purgatory, but hell has been omitted; the origins of Orthodoxy are stated as the 1054 split with the western church, but the Orthodox see themselves as the ancient apostolic church. On the whole, the treatment of churches is fair and photographs support the text well.

World Issues addresses riches and poverty, human rights, war and peace, culture and belonging and animals and the environment, all in 72 pages. The small type allows for more material but is daunting. Religions outside the QCA “big six” are visited, which is refreshing, but sometimes only a snippet of information is provided.

All these texts have strengths and weaknesses. Indirectly, they raise the question being debated elsewhere: has the time come for a national curriculum for RE and, if so, would that both standardise and improve the textbook provision?

Terence Copley